The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Tuesday it has asked the sport's governing body to explain India's refusal to send a team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy next year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The International Cricket Council informed the PCB last week that India would not tour Pakistan for the eight-team tournament, leaving the fate of the event hanging in the balance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pakistan had previously rejected the option of a hybrid arrangement that would allow India to play their matches at neutral venues, for example in the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"The PCB has responded to last week's ICC letter seeking clarifications for the Indian Board's decision not to travel to Pakistan for next year's Champions Trophy," Sami-Ul-Hasan told AFP.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Deteriorating political ties have meant the bitter rivals have not played a bilateral cricket series for over a decade -- squaring off only in ICC multi-nation events.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent's partition in 1947 and that rivalry is often reflected on the cricket field.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Any cricket match between the two is among the most watched events on the global sporting calendar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pakistani media reported on Tuesday that the PCB would be unwilling to accept security reasons for India's refusal to visit.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
New Zealand have toured Pakistan three times in the past two years, with England visiting twice and Australia once in the same period.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pakistan also visited India for last year's ODI World Cup and the PCB had expected the gesture to be reciprocated for the Champions Trophy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Champions Trophy is slated to be played across three venues -- Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi -- from February 19 to March 9 next year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But a final schedule due to be announced this week has been postponed over the stand-off -- which PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi termed disappointing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Almost every country wants the tournament to be played in Pakistan and it will be disappointing if they don't come," Naqvi, who is also the interior minister, said last week.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I don't think anyone should make this a political matter. We'll give every team as many facilities as we can."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Naqvi said Pakistan would consider pulling out of events in India as a response.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Pakistan has shown great gestures to India in the past, and we'd like to say clearly India shouldn't expect such friendly gestures from us every time".<\/p>\r\n\r\n